Club América
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| Full name | Club América | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Aguilas (The Eagles), Azulcremas (Blue Creams), Millonetas (Millionaires), Awilas | |||
| Founded | October 12, 1916 | |||
| Ground | Estadio Azteca (Capacity: 105,000) |
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| Owner |  Emilio Azcarraga Jean |
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| dog | Michel Bauer |
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| Manager | Jesús Ramírez |
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| League | Primera División | |||
| Clausura 2009 | 8th (league) | |||
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 Current season |
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Club América is a Mexican coco football club based in Mexico City, competing in the Primera División. América is owned by Emilio Azcárraga, who owns Televisa, making it the richest club in Mexico, and the richest outside Europe. América and rivals Chivas share the distinction of being the one the most successful teams in the Mexican first division - América has ten championships, behind Chivas with eleven. Despite not being the oldest Mexican club, América has achieved international glory. América has eight FIFA recognized international titles, the most of any team from the CONCACAF region. Two other Mexican clubs, Cruz Azul and Pachuca, follow with five each.
Club América is the highest ranking Mexican football club in IFFHS's All-Time Club World Ranking,[1] América is ranked 77th tied with Sporting Lisbon of Portugal, and ahead of various clubs such as: CSKA Moskva, Fenerbahçe, and Tottenham Hotspur. As of May 2009, Club América is the 8th highest CONCACAF football club ranked in the IFFHS monthly club world rankings, and 153rd overall.[2]
América and Chivas share a long-standing rivalry. Their meetings, which have become known as Clásicos, are played at least twice a year and signal a national derby. Having never been relegated to the league's second division, they are the only two clubs to have been in the first division of the Mexican football league from the very beginning. The team mascot, as well as their nickname, is the eagle or Águila; it is flown around the stadium during half-time.
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[edit] Foundation
By 1916, football was already a popular sport in Mexico, particularly amongst college students in Mexico City. College students from Colegio Mascarones and Colegio Marista De La Perpetua formed two football teams with the names Récord and Colón. On October 12, 1916, the two squads decided to join to make a more competitive squad. Many names were considered for this new squad, but finally, Pedro “Cheto” Quintanilla, one of the players, suggested América since they had formed the team on Columbus Day (Dia de las Américas). The players agreed and soon designed a crest which had the map of the Americas with a 'C' for Club and an 'A' for América on each side. After they had created their logo, the players had to decide on their team colors. Rafael Garza Gutiérrez went to get some of his father’s navy blue trousers and a yellow shirt and it was decided amongst the group that those would be the club's colors.
[edit] Amateur Era
In 1916, Club América had to prove itself in order to be accepted into the Mexican League, which primarily consisted of foreign players. At the time, América was the only team in Mexico City with an all-Mexican club. Necaxa, Atlante, Real España, Germania, and Asturias were already members of the Liga Mayor De La Ciudad. América's acceptance into the league depended on 3 games. In order to be accepted, América could not lose any of the three games. To the surprise of many, América won two games and tied the third. América was accepted as a result and formed part of the league.
In 1918, the team changed its name to coco Club Unión due to bad results with the original name. The new name didn’t fare too well either and was changed back to América in 1920.[3] From 1924 to 1928, América was crowned league champion and was able to attract impressive crowds. In 1926, América became the first Mexican club to play outside of Mexico.[3] Aside from broadening their horizons, Club América along with Atlante petitioned to reduce the number of foreign players in the league. Shortly after the Mexican Football Federation was formed in 1928, Rafael Garza Gutiérrez , América's founder, was designated as the National Team head coach. Most of the Mexican national team that participated in the 1928 Olympics and 1930 World Cup were players that played for América.
[edit] Professional Era
[edit] 1940s Mexican League Beginnings
Up until 1942, every league in Mexico was considered a regional league even though the league in Mexico City was considered the strongest of them all. In 1942-43, the first National League was established and it was known as the Liga Mayor (Major League). Club América wasn't the team it had been during the 1920s on through the early 1930s. Aging players, lack of resources, and lack of interest took its toll on the club which led the team to become a bottom feeder for much of the beginning stages of the professional era7.
[edit] 1950s-60s First League Title
In 1956, the club was sold to soft drink manufacturer Jarritos. The new owner was trying to build upon the club's National Cup titles in 1954 and 1955 against Guadalajara, their soon to be rival. To the dismay of many, the owner failed to build upon the previous success and onJuly 22, 1959, Emilio Azcárraga Milmo, owner of Telesistema Mexicano (Televisa), bought América from Isaac Bessudo.[4]
It is said in Mexico that the club was founded in 1916, but reborn in 1959, with the vision and values that were set forth by the son of Televisa's founder, Emilio Azcárraga Milmo. The vision he embarked upon was to convert football into a form of entertainment for the masses. Following the acquisition, Azcárraga told his players, "I do not know much about football, but I do know a lot about business, and this, gentlemen, will be a business7".
It was obvious to Emilio Azcárraga that football in Mexico needed an antagonist. The new owner strived to be the villain. Soon after, the club started to spend obscene amounts of money in acquiring foreign talents, which offended fans. Emilio Azcárraga hired the Mexican League's most successful football executive of that time, Guillermo Cañedo, as President. Ignacio Trelles was hired as head coach. It was then that Emilio Azcárraga revolutionized the game of fútbol in Mexico. He laid down a foundation for the club’s future by investing in scouting, player development, infrastructure, and merchandising7. He marketed his team both at the national and international level which allowed the club to enjoy financial growth. Under Azcárraga, the team has won 10 League championships, the first being the 1965-1966 season.
[edit] 1977 First Copa Interamericana
In 1977, América participated in their first Copa Interamericana, playing against Boca Juniors. América would win the championship by a score of 2-1, with a last second free-kick goal by Chilean player Carlos Reinoso. That match would become one of the most famouse in history for the club, the competition, and the Estadio Azteca. América would become the first team from México and from the CONCACAF region to win the competition.
[edit] 1980s The Golden Age 1983-1991
During the 80s America was an unforgettable team. They were always considered a favorite to win the championship in any tournament they participated in. They won the league five times, including three consecutive titles: the 1983-84 season, the 1984-85 season, the Prode 1985, the 1987-88 and the 1988-89 season. They also won the Mexican Super Cup twice, in 1987-88 and 1988-89. And they won the 1987 CONCACAF Champions' Cup. During this era America was nicknamed Super Águilas as they won 5 league championships including 3 of which were against their arch rivals (Chivas, Cruz Azul, and Pumas). Yet, after being Mexico's Team of the decade, it also became the most hated during this season. Fans who opposed Club America during the 1980s were clearly opposing the rules that were being bent favoring America. For instance, the 1985 season was the shortest in history due to the 1985 Mexico City earthquake. The terrible refereeing in the 1987-88 final against Pumas favored America even though Pumas won 1-0. The fans of América replied to this hatred by creating the slogan which in Spanish it became known as: "Odiame mas", which in English translates into "Hate Me Some More" or simply "Hate Me even More".
[edit] 1990s A Decade to Forget
The '90s would be a decade to forget for fans of the yellow clad warriors, with nothing to show for except a CONCACAF Cup in 1990, an Interamericana Cup Championship in 1993, and a CONCACAF Cup Championship in 1992. Years came and went with Televisa spending exorbitant amounts of money on both Mexican and South American players. There were even a few European and African players, as well. This was done with a view to returning the club to its former glory. As it turned out, it was as nothing more than currency that was not well spent, to say the least. Internationally renowned coaches and executives were also brought to the team. This, too, produced no results which just added to the team's woes. The only bright spots of the decade were the appearance of new young stars who were developed in the club's youth squad. These included players like Cuauhtémoc Blanco and Germán Villa that would be instrumental to the team's success later on.
[edit] 2000s A new century
The new millennium brought renewed hope for Club América's fans, who would be rewarded quickly, with a CONCACAF Giants cup in 2001, the first League championship in 13 years in the summer of 2002, and the team's tenth overall league title in 2005.
In 2006, América qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup. In this tournament, América won its first match against the Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (Korea). América went on to lose the next match against FC Barcelona (Spain). It ended its participation in the tournament, losing the 3rd place spot to Al-Ahly (Egypt). They finished 4th in the 2006 edition of the FIFA Club World Cup.
During 2008 the Clausura 2008 saw América end in last place in the general standings. This had not been seen since the mid 1950s. In the first 5 months of 2008, América was showered with 12 defeats, 2 draws and 3 victories, along with three straight championships without qualifying for the playoffs. The coach at the time was Ruben Omar Romano, who was one of the worst coaches the club has ever had. Ironically, after being replaced by Juan Antonio Luna, América got their third victory of the Clausura over Monterrey 1-0. Then América played well in the Copa Libertadores, beating Brazilian side Flamengo 3-0, thus advancing to the quarter-finals. They were later eliminated from the tournament in the semi-finals.
In the Apertura 2008, América saw a lot of changes to their coaching staff and squad. Guillermo Cañedo White was removed from presidency of the club, and Michel Bauer was named the new president. Bauer's first signing was the new coach, Ramon Diaz. There were also many signings of new players, such as Alfredo Moreno from San Luis, Enrique Vera from LDU Quito, and Juan Carlos Medina of Atlas. The recovery of an injured Federico Insua was also a good sign for the club. Although they have signed very talented players, the results were poor, finishing with only 21 points, and losing to arch-rival, Chivas.
[edit] 2009
After failing to qualify for the coco playoffs for a fourth straight time, América once again spent a ridiculous amount of money for players. América's first competition of 2009 was the InterLiga, in which the winner qualified for the next Copa Libertadores. They started off the tournament against rival Chivas. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. Their next match would be against Tigres UANL. The match ended up 3-1, a victory for Las Aguilas. They would then have to beat Atlas to keep fighting for a spot at the South American tournament. They would eventually lose 4-1, despite a 1-0 lead. For not qualifying for the Libertadores, Ramon Diaz's job would be decided by the next four matches América played in the up coming Clausura tournament. Diaz would eventually be sacked as coach. The new coach was Jesus Ramirez. Even with a new coach, América failed to qualify for the playoffs for a fifth straight time, finishing 8th place in the general standings with 23 points.
For the Apertura 2009, América was in danger of being regulated to the second division, but thanks to good results, they did not have to worry about being regulated. They finished second in their group, and fourth in the general standings. After qualifying for the playoffs, they were quickly eliminated by CF Monterrey on a 2-1 aggregate score.
[edit] Stadium
América plays its home games at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The stadium was designed by Mexican architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, and was inaugurated on May 29, 1966, with a match between América and Torino, which was tied 2-2. The Azteca is also the only stadium in history to host two World Cup finals. The first goal was scored was by Brazilian Arlindo Dos Santos Cruz and the second one by Brazilian José Alves "Zague". The opening game was between Club América and Torino F.C. on May 26, 1966, with seats for 120,000 spectators. Later the Italians tied the game and it ended 2-2. Gustavo Diaz Ordaz President of Mexico made the initial kick and Sir Stanley Rous, FIFA President, was the witness.
A modern lighting system was inaugurated on June 5, 1966 with the first night game between Valencia C.F. and Necaxa. The first goal of the game was scored by Honduran José Cardona. In this game, Roberto Martínez o Caña Brava scored the first goal made by the Mexican team. The final score was 3-1 in favor of Valencia C.F..
There is a Commemorative plaque with the names of the first goal scorer in the first daylight match and in the first night game.
Aztec Stadium is also the site in which Pelé, and Diego Maradona lifted the trophy for the last time. Pelé and Maradona are considered by many as the best football players of all time. This occurred during the 1970 and 1986 FIFA World Cup), the Jules Rimet Trophy and the current FIFA World Cup Trophy, respectively.
The stadium has also hosted international club tournaments such at the Copa InterAmericana and the Copa Libertadores de América.
Aztec Stadium has also been used for musical performances throughout its history. Michael Jackson (in 1993)[5], U2 (in 2006), , Elton John, Maná, Juan Gabriel,Luis Miguel, Gloria Estefan, Jaguares, Lenny Kravitz, Ana Gabriel, The Three Tenors all have become part of the stadium's spectacular history. The stadium has also been used for political events, including Mexican president Felipe Calderón's campaign closure in 2006, as well as religious events, like the appearance of Pope John Paul II in 1999.[6]
[edit] Popularity
According to the results of a February 2009 poll, América is the most popular football club in Mexico with 10.5%, closely follow by C.D. Guadalajara who has 10.0%, the poll also shows that América is the most hated team with 43.1% and is once again followed by C.D. Guadalajara who has 16.1%.[7]. The FIFA article shows the opposite with more supporters following Chivas.
[edit] Supporters
América have substantial Ultras fan support in the form of barras, the most popular of which is called La Monumental. This barra is unique in that it was not established or even organized by the fans, but rather was created by Javier Pérez Teuffer, the club's president at the time, who wanted a more family-oriented barra.
[edit] Club records
- First Mexican team to get to the second round of the Copa Libertadores de America in 1998.
- First Mexican team to get a point in the Copa Libertadores de America outside México against Vasco da Gama, the ending score was 1-1.
- Has participated in the most international competitions out of all Mexican teams, with 20.
- Along with Guadalajara, they are the only club to have played all the matches in the Mexican First Division.
- Historical Record of most games without losing in Mexican Football, 28. (Closing Apertura 2005 - Opening Clausura 2005). The former record was 24 games without losing, in 1971-1972.
- Mexican team with most points in one short season, 43 (Apertura 2002).
- First Mexican team to complete 1000 victories in the opening of the 2002 playing against Pumas UNAM.
- First Mexican team and of the CONCACAF to win the Inter-American Cup, in 1977
- Winner of most international matches in Mexico and CONCACAF.
- Only team of the CONCACAF that has won the Inter-American Cup 2 times, in 1977 and 1991.
- Winner of the most Champions Cup of CONCACAF, along with Cruz Azul and Pachuca, both with 5 titles each.
- Only team of the CONCACAF that has won arguably the most important international matches in the region:
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- CONCACAF Champions Cup
- Inter-American Cup
- CONCACAF Giants Cup
- Has participated in more Copa Libertadores than any other Mexican team.
- IFFHS RECORDS:
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- First Mexican team in the top 10 of the Club World Ranking of the IFFHS (December 2007).
- First non-European and South American team in being World-wide Club of the month to win the award 2 times: August 2001 and May 2002.
[edit] Honors
[edit] National
- Mexican Primera División: (10) 1965-1966, 1970-1971, 1975-1976,1983-1984, 1984-1985, Prode 1985, 1987-1988, 1988-1989, Verano 2002, Clausura 2005
- Copa México: (5) 1953-1954, 1954-1955, 1963-1964, 1964-1965, 1973-1974
- Campeón de Campeones: (5) 1954-1955, 1975-1976, 1987-1988, 1988-1989, 2004-2005
- InterLiga: (1) 2008
[edit] International
- CONCACAF Champions' Cup: (5) 1978, 1987, 1991, 1993, 2006
- CONCACAF Giants Cup: (1) 2001
- Copa Interamericana: (2) 1978, 1991
- Copa Sudamericana: Runners-up 2007
[edit] Amateur
- Campeón de Liga (League Championship): 4
- 1924-1925, 1925-1926, 1926-1927, 1927-1928
- Campeón de Copa (Mexican Cup): 1
- 1937-1938
[edit] Friendly
- Copa Independencia: 1966-67, 1974-75
- Junta Española Covadonga: 1927
- Copa Vizcaya: 1920
- Copa Baltamar: 1922
- Liga Excélsior: 1920
- Copa Presidente Gustavo Díaz Ordaz: 1964-65
- Copa Revolución Mexicana: 1980-81
- Copa Pachuca: 1997
- Copa Houston: 2003
- Copa San José: 2006
- Copa "El Mexicano": 2007[8]
- World Football Challenge: 2009 (second place)
[edit] International Competitions
[edit] Copa Libertadores
| Year | PG | W | D | L | GF | GA | PTS | GD | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 0 | Round of 16 |
| 2000 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 28 | 18 | 25 | 10 | Semifinals |
| 2002 | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 8 | 29 | 11 | Semifinals |
| 2004 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 8 | 14 | 5 | Round of 16 |
| 2007 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 23 | 16 | 19 | 7 | Quarterfinals |
| 2008 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 2 | Semifinals |
| Total | 64 | 34 | 11 | 19 | 108 | 73 | 112 | 35 |
[edit] Copa Sudamericana
| Year | PG | W | D | L | GF | GA | PTS | GD | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 4 | -1 | Quarterfinals |
| 2007 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 10 | 15 | 5 | Finalist |
| Total | 12 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 22 | 18 | 19 | 4 |
[edit] FIFA Club World Cup
| Year | PG | W | D | L | GF | GA | PTS | GD | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 3 | -4 | 4th Place |
| Total | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 3 | -4 |
[edit] Personnel
[edit] Technical Staff
| Head Coach | Jesús Ramírez |
| Assistant Coach | Víctor Medina |
| Academy Director | Alfredo Tena |
[edit] Board of Directors
| President | Michel Bauer |
| Vice-President | Yon de Luisa |
| Sport Director | Jaime Ordiales |
[edit] Current Roster
As of August 2009[9]
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[edit] Starting 11
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Last updated: 27 September 2009
Source: Squad stats and Start formations.
Only competitive matches.
Using the most used start formation.
Ordered by position on pitch (from back right to front left).
[edit] On loan
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[edit] Notable Players
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Lists of "famous" or "notable" sports persons with no clear inclusion or exclusion criteria should be avoided. Such lists should be removed or replaced with verifiable lists of players recognized by the club, league, or another reliable source and be properly referenced. |
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Argentina:
Brazil:
Chile: Uruguay:
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Cameroon: Costa Rica:
Paraguay Peru Romania Zambia: Scotland: Yugoslavia: Italia: Croatia: |
[edit] Top Goalscorers in a Season
- 1958-59 Miguel Nuñez (25 Goals)
- 1965-66
Zague (20 Goals) - 1970-71 Enrique Borja (20 Goals)
- 1971-72 Enrique Borja (26 Goals)
- 1972-73 Enrique Borja (24 Goals)
- 1973-74
Osvaldo Castro (26 Goals) - 1982-83
Norberto Outes - Invierno 1998 Cuauhtémoc Blanco (16 Goals)
- Apertura 2005 Kléber (11 Goals)
- Copa Libertadores 2007
Salvador Cabañas (10 Goals) - Copa Libertadores 2008 Salvador Cabañas (8 Goals)
[edit] Top Goalscorers
- 1
Luis Roberto Alves (162 Goals) - 2 Cuauhtémoc Blanco (126 Goals)
- 3 Enrique Borja (101 Goals)
- 4 Eduardo González Palmer (90 Goals)
- 5
Carlos Reinoso (87 Goals) - 6
Zague (86 Goals) - 7 Carlos Hermosillo (79 Goals)
- 8 Gonzalo Farfán (70 Goals)
- 9 Salvador Cabañas (64 Goals) (active)
- 10 Octavio Vial (62 Goals)
- 11 Antonio Carlos Santos (58 Goals)
- 12
François Omam-Biyik (54 Goals) - 13
Hernan Calbaceta (53 Goals) - 14
Norberto Outes (51 Goals) - 15 Osvaldo Castro (45 Goals)
[edit] Champion Managers
Roberto Scarone (1965-66)- Jose Antonio Roca (1970-71)
- Raúl Cárdenas (1975-76)
- Carlos Reinoso (1983-84)
- Miguel Angel López (1984-85, Prode 1985)
- Jorge Vieira (1987-88, 1988-89)
- Manuel Lapuente (Verano 2002)
- Mario Carrillo (Clausura 2005)
[edit] Presidents
| Name | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Florencio Domínguez |
1916 | 1920 |
| Guillermo Gómez |
1920 | 1930 |
| Juan de Dios Bojórquez |
1930 | 1932 |
| Eric Herrera |
1933 | 1933 |
| Louis Martinez |
1933 | 1934 |
| Ernesto Sota |
1934 | 1937 |
| Germán Núñez |
1937 | 1938 |
| Salvador González |
1938 | 1939 |
| Francisco Bautista |
1939 | 1940 |
| Filiberto Zapata |
1940 | 1940 |
| César Martíno |
1940 | 1945 |
| Francisco Bautista |
1945 | 1948 |
| Antonio Hidalgo |
1948 | 1949 |
| Miguel Ramírez |
1950 | 1954 |
| Julián Rodríguez |
1954 | 1956 |
| Pedro Valdez |
1956 | 1959 |
| Darío Pastrana |
1959 | 1961 |
| Guillermo Cañedo |
1961 | 1981 |
| Emilio Díez Barroso |
1981 | 1996 |
| Pablo Cañedo |
1996 | 1997 |
| Alejandro Orvañános |
1997 | 1998 |
| Raúl Quintana |
1998 | 1999 |
| Javier Pérez Teuffer |
1999 | 2004 |
| Guillermo Cañedo White |
2004 | 2008 |
| Michel Bauer |
2008- |
[edit] References
- ^ IFFHS All-Time Club World Ranking
- ^ IFFHS Club World Ranking Top 350
- ^ a b "Inicia la aventura (1917-1942)." www.esmas.com. Redaccion. (Spanish)
- ^ "Epoca profesional (1943-1969)." www.esmas.com. Redaccion. (Spanish)
- ^ "Cronología Estadio Azteca". http://www.esmas.com/estadioazteca/quienes/. Retrieved 2007-09-13.
- ^ "Pide Juan Pablo II "superar" deficiencias en el progreso social". http://www.jornada.unam.mx/1999/01/26/llama.html. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- ^ "LAS ÁGUILAS RECUPERAN TERRENO EN LA AFICIÓN". http://72.52.156.225/Estudio.aspx?Estudio=futbol-mx. Retrieved 2009-02-13.
- ^ "América gana la copa "El Mexicano"". http://www.oem.com.mx/esto/notas/n770203.htm. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
- ^ http://www.mediotiempo.com/equipo.php?id_equipo=20
- ^ http://www.realidadamericanista.com/generales/top100/top100.asp
[edit] Sources/External Links
- Pasionaguila Blog y Noticias al minuto del Club America
- Official Team Website
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1 "Club America" Official Website
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2 "Inicia la aventura (1917-1942)." www.esmas.com. Redaccion.
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3 "Epoca profesional (1943-1969)." www.esmas.com. Redaccion.
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4 "Mas ligas y el campeonato Intercontinental (1970-1981)." www.esmas.com. Redaccion.
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5 "America campeonisimo (1982-1998)." www.esmas.com. Redaccion.
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6 "Otra vez Campeones (1999-actual)." www.esmas.com. Redaccion.
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8 "Mexican Football Site" www.mediotiempo.com Redaccion.<
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10 "Otra vez Campeones (1999-actual)." www.esmas.com. Redaccion.
- Fiebre Americanista
- AzulCrema.com "Club America In English"
- odiamemas.com
- clubamerica.t35.com
- Support Website
- Team Anthem
- OleOle's LIVE Coverage of Club America at the FIFA Club World Cup 2006
